New to SPS dKH 12?

Ledreef · Jul 7, 2018

Monroereef said:
I am more interested to know what test kit he used to measure the alk? Still waiting to hear back on his Ca reading and tank size.

I use all that to make sure I get good resolve [emoji4][emoji4]

not playing around [emoji33][emoji33][emoji4][emoji4][emoji6]

jda · Jul 7, 2018

Few things about IO. First, use the whole bag, or dry mix the stuff. Every salt settles some and this is no different. I use the whole bag, so this is not an issue for me.

Two, you need to doctor it up a bit, but it has always been dead-on-balls accurate (it is an industry term) and the doctoring is easy. Here is my formula... 44G Brute, whole bag of IO and 2 tbsp of dowflake in cold water. Mix overnight. Heater in the brute and add 20mls of Muratic Acid. Mix for a day or two until the PH is back up. Perfect SPS water for me with alk about 7.0-7.2 and calcium about 425.

Maggie321 · Jul 7, 2018

Ledreef said:
I use all that to make sure I get good resolve [emoji4][emoji4]

not playing around [emoji33][emoji33][emoji4][emoji4][emoji6]

You are very prepared but I think the OP should really be answering the question of what test equipment they are using. No offence.

Scorpius · Jul 7, 2018

jda said:
Few things about IO. First, use the whole bag, or dry mix the stuff. Every salt settles some and this is no different. I use the whole bag, so this is not an issue for me.

Two, you need to doctor it up a bit, but it has always been dead-on-balls accurate (it is an industry term) and the doctoring is easy. Here is my formula... 44G Brute, whole bag of IO and 2 tbsp of dowflake in cold water. Mix overnight. Heater in the brute and add 20mls of Muratic Acid. Mix for a day or two until the PH is back up. Perfect SPS water for me with alk about 7.0-7.2 and calcium about 425.

lol and people make fun of ESV's saltwater system.

Monroereef · Jul 7, 2018

[QUOTE="Ledreef, post: 4889180, member: 37765"

Iull that to make sure I get good resolve [emoji4][emoji4]

not playing around [emoji33][emoji33][emoji4][emoji4][emoji6][/QUOTE]

WHAT? All along I have been talking to the OP not you @Ledreef .
Take your pics and highjacking to some place else. There are MANY threads here where you can boast of your tank and freely show the pics. This thread is for a newbie asking questions and I was ONLY replying to him.

What a showoff you are dude. Get a life.

DSC reef · Jul 7, 2018

I agree, knowing the OP's testing equipment will be helpful. I've used reef crystals and it didn't have that high of alk testing with a hannah. Also, the saturation in led reefs tank pic hurts my eyes....

Monroereef · Jul 7, 2018

DSC reef said:
I agree, knowing the OP's testing equipment will be helpful. I've used reef crystals and it didn't have that high of alk testing with a hannah. Also, the saturation in led reefs tank pic hurts my eyes....

Indeed, I was blinded as well. It is too much glare and un-natural colors.

Monroereef · Jul 7, 2018

@FirstContact I cannot but you can ask the mods to cleanup this thread so it stays on track ..

I will call upon @kschweer to help with it

RedneckReefer68 · Jul 8, 2018

I add 1 ml per gallon to bring my IO down to where my tank runs at 7.5 dkh. If I remember correctly mine tested at 11.8 with redsea ALK kit. Been doing this for the last 2 bags.

Jaysushi · Jul 8, 2018

@RedneckReefer68 What brand muriatic acid do you use? I grabbed some from Home Depot and overtime the alk slowly raised itself back up.

RedneckReefer68 · Jul 8, 2018

Jaysushi said:
@RedneckReefer68 What brand muriatic acid do you use? I grabbed some from Home Depot and overtime the alk slowly raised itself back up.

I bought mine from tractor supply.

Jaysushi · Jul 8, 2018

@RedneckReefer68 Yep, that's the same brand I use. Weird how my alk will slowly raise itself back up.

RedneckReefer68 · Jul 8, 2018

Not sure..I let mine mix for about 4-5 hrs and do my water change. I check my ALK every other day and it's always the same.

FirstContact · Jul 8, 2018

Thanks everyone for the great responses! I was at the laundromat last night washing filter socks! I’m using Hanna for alkalinity and Red Sea for calcium. Next time I mix up a batch of Instant Ocean, I will report the numbers! I use a 44g brute with individual IO bags. The SPS corals are in a 30g QT so I would say that is ULN because there are no fish in there?

I haven’t moved any to the display yet. It’s a 120g with about 210g in the system heavily stocked with fish and no inverts as I have non reef safe wrasses.

Jaysushi · Jul 8, 2018

@RedneckReefer68 I'll try letting it mix roughly around that time too and see. I test alk every other day or so and it's always done at the same time on those days.

Reef dog · Jul 9, 2018

I use reef crystals and do the whole bag 40 gal WC and my alk only raises .5 per WC, so for me its not worth all that trouble doctoring it up. I also dose 75ml of alk a day and my tank sits between 8 -8.5. You just need to figure out what works for you IMO and which salt better fits your maintenance schedule.